Fundraising for MPI as a Program Director

After an 11 month journey that took me to places around the world that I never dreamed of being, I decided to volunteer my services to a non-profit called Manna Project international. Manna Project International (MPI) is a volunteer driven 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving international communities through holistic development. The MPI network is made up of three international sites (Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala), nine university campus chapters , and a growing base of volunteer alumni. I am volunteering at the Ecuador site, in the Chillos Vales, which is to the southeast of the capital city of Quito. The team in Ecuador has adopted an asset-based development model. This model focuses on the skills and interests local residents have rather than on what they lack. It looks past the temptation to meet short-term needs or offer temporary assistance and instead seeks to be a matchmaker between residents and local organizations, to foster job opportunities, and to increase community pride and involvement.

Our international sites are run by 13-month volunteers called Program Directors (i.e me!), who currently come from twelve different universities across the US and Canada. Each current Program Director is responsible for raising $7,500 by February, 2011. This money will go to helping run our many programs, from Women’s Health to Children’s English, as well as helping to maintain and improve our library from which we run our programs and connect with the community. Any amount of money given will help. This is a great opportunity have a direct impact on a community that needs your help. The idea behind community development, in a nuts shell, is to help people help themselves. I think to be a part of something like that is a really special experience. Do your part—if you can—and be a part of helping the community with whom I volunteer.

Thank you very much.